U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday that Israel should resume military operations in Gaza if all hostages are not released by the end of the week. Speaking to reporters, Trump stated that if the hostages are not returned by Saturday at noon, Israel should abandon the ceasefire and take action. "I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out," he remarked, according to the Times of Israel. He also mentioned the possibility of speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but noted that Israel could ultimately decide to disregard his ultimatum.

Trump's remarks followed an announcement from Hamas that it would delay the next scheduled hostage release, initially planned for Saturday, citing alleged Israeli violations of the ongoing ceasefire agreement. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, stated in a post on X that the transfer of hostages "who were scheduled to be released next Saturday... will be postponed until further notice." He claimed that this decision would stand "until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively," CNN reported. He also emphasized that Hamas remained committed to the ceasefire terms as long as Israel upheld its obligations.

Shortly after, Hamas issued a follow-up statement suggesting that the planned release could still take place if Israel fully adhered to the agreement. The group framed the delay as a "warning," giving mediators time to push Israel into compliance. The statement, cited by CNN, clarified that by announcing the postponement several days in advance, Hamas intended to give negotiators an opportunity to ensure that Israel honored its commitments.

During the same press conference, Trump also compared the condition of freed hostages to Holocaust survivors. A video shared by the White House captured Trump describing the hostages as "emaciated" and in "horrible condition." He said, "Hamas has been a disaster... I watched the hostages come back today and they looked like Holocaust survivors." He further commented on the physical and psychological toll they endured, adding, "They have been treated brutally, horribly. Even the ones that came out earlier, they were in a little bit better shape, but mentally they were treated so badly." Trump concluded by saying that patience was running out, stating, "At some point we're going to lose our patience. When I see that scene with people coming out of helicopters and airplanes that look like they haven't had a meal in a month—no reason for that."

Sources:

• Times of Israel
• CNN
• ANI